Control means



15, 1936. B TYLER 2,054,574

CONTROL MEANS Filed June 8, 1952 Y 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 ATTO RNIYS T. B.TYLER ,5

CONTROL MEANS.

Filed June a, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 15, 1936.

85R Qw an W6 Patented Sept. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT or ies CONTROLMEANS Tracy Brooks Tyler, Detroit, Mich., assignor to The MonopowerCorporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application June8,1932, Serial No. 616,143

2 Claims.

This invention relates to transmission and clutch control means,particularly useful with a master clutch and a transmission employingpressure clutches for connecting the torque change parts to the drivenpart.

The invention aims to provide means, useful a group of clutches, any oneof which may beselected for engagement, and also contains a cross shaftprovided with arms operable to cause engagement of a preselected clutch,and to cause disengagement of a previously engaged clutch. The crossshaft may be rotated by any means, and it is the purpose of thisapplication to provide, for said cross shaft, means connected tothemeans for operating the master clutch, for reasons to be described. a

A further object is to provide, in combination with a multi-clutchtransmission and a master clutch, a single means for controlling thetrans mission clutches and the master clutch.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a multi-clutchtransmission, means whereby the clutches thereof, are so connected tothe master clutch that when the master clutch is disengaged the clutchesof the transmission will also be disengaged. Accordingly when the ve--hicle is coasting with master clutch disengaged, the clutches and otherparts of the transmission are not being revolved by the propeller shaft,and since these parts are also free of the engine shaft, because of themaster clutch being disengaged, this feature permits the transmission tobe silent and idle while the vehicle is coasting with the master clutchdisengaged.

A still further object is to provide a selective clutch typetransmission wherein a selected clutch may be caused to be engaged, byactuator means interlocked or connected to the actuator means for themaster clutch, the connection being such that (a) movement 'of themaster clutch actuator towards its clutch disengaged position willautomatically disengage the transmission clutches, so that any one ofthem may be selected by the operator; and (b) movement of the masterclutch actuator from its clutch disengaged position towards its clutchengaged position will cause engagement of the preselected clutch of thetransmission.

Further, the connection is such that the means for opposing ni'asterclutch disengagement will not continuously react against the foot of theoperator of the vehicle while he is causing and maintainingdisengagement of the transmission clutches.

A still further object is a'transmission so constructed that engagementof the transmission clutches cannot be effected until and unless themaster clutch actuator is moved from engaged position towards disengagedposition. In this manner, accidental engagement of the transmissionclutches by accidental movements of the transmission clutch manipulator,is made impossible.

Still further objects of the invention will become readily apparent uponreference to the following detailed description and to the appendeddrawings in which Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the invention; v

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross section of a transmission with g thepresent invention associated therewith;

derstood that this transmission forms the subject matter of the abovereferred to co-pending application and that it is shown by way ofexample only.

In the drawings the numeral I0 designates a driving shaft that isadapted to be connected to an engine of a vehicle by a master clutch,the

latter being of conventional construction and ineluding a driving plateII and a reciprocable pressure plate Ila. For reciprocating the pressureplate H a in one direction there is provided a pivoted clutch throwoutfork llb connected to a clutch throwout bearing He and for reciprocatingit-in the other direction there are provided springs lid.

A driven shaft. l2 is journalled in a transmission casing l8 and has acoupling l 3 providing means for connecting the same to a member such asthe propellor shaft of a vehicle. A countershaft has one end fixed inthe casing l8 and its opposite end fixed in a transverse partition I9.Formed integral with the driving shaft I0 is a gear 20 in constant meshwith a gear 2| on the countershaft IS, the latter alsohaving gears 22'24 and 25 have relatively telescoping sleeves 26 and 21 journalled in abearing 21a in the partition I9. The shaft I0 and the sleeves 26 and 21are provided with external splines 30, 3| and 32 respectively forpurposes to be described.

Surroundingsleeve 21 are a plurality of separated annular friction disks34 which have teeth engaging the splines 32 of'sleeve 27, the disksbeing non-rotatably and slidably secured to the sleeve 2?. and splinedthereto, are collars 35 and 36, the collars also having external splinesby means of which sets of friction plates 31 and 36 are splined thereto,and the three sets of plates 34, 31 and.

38 form the driving plates of friction clutches whose driven parts willnow be described.

Forming a constellation around the axes of shaft I0 and sleeves 26 and21 are a plurality of equally spaced rods, one of which is shown at 40,supported in the web 46 of a gear 4Ia, the web being formed integralwith the driven shaft I2, and in a plate 42 surrounding and clear of theouter sleeve 21. Floating on the rods 40 and connecting all of them aresets of annular friction plates 43, 44 and 45 which are nested in setswith the sets of plates 31, 36 and 34 respectively as shown. The plates43, 44 and 45 loosely surround collars 36 and 35, and sleeve 21respectively, and are free to be moved or compressed into drivingengagement with the driving plates. The-plate 421s splined to and formsan end plate for a large cylindrical drum 48 riveted to the web 46 bythe ends of the rods 40, the rods having nuts 460. on their ends forholding the plate 42 securely to the drum. The drum is stepped, asshown, to provide shoulders at 49 and 50 for backing plates 5i and 52,these, together with the closed end 53 of the-drum, forming abutmentsfor the sets of plates 34, 36 and 3'1 respectively. The drum furthercontains dished pressure plates 54, 55 and 56, movable by means to bedescribed, towards the backing plates to cause the sets of frictionplates to be clamped between them for driving engagement.

The means for moving the pressure plates towards the backing plates inorder to cause one or another of the clutch plate sets to be clampedincludes a constellation of channel shaped elongated members 60. As seenin Fig. 4 the channels pass through the web 46, the partially closed end53 of the drum 48, the sets of plates 43, 44

and 45 and the pressure plates 54, 55 and 56,

the backing plates 5I. and 52 and end plate 42. At one end they aresecured by a tongue and groove jointtl to a clutch main pressure plate62, and are free at their other ends as shown. Within each channel isslidably disposed an elongated selector 63, the latter having one endsecured to a ring 64 operatively connected to a shift lever 65 by meansof a fork I32 and sliding element I33.

Each selector is provided with suitably spaced and dimensioned cut-outsor depressions 66 and 61, and suitably spaced and dimensioned pairs ofwide portions 68 and 69. Each channel is provided with suitably spacedpairs of holes I0, 'II and 12, located substantially as shown in Fig. 4and adjacent chamfers 73, I4 and I5 on the edges of the pressure plateapertures through which the channels pass, and are also adjacent reliefsI1, I8 and I9 in the holes of plates 5|, 52 and 42. In the pairs ofholes are pairs of balls 60, Si and 82. Further between pressure plate56 and end plate 42 are substantially L-shaped rocker fingers orreactors 84 which have their Surrounding sleeve 26 and shaft I0,

lower edges seated in recesses 85 of channels 60 as illustrated moreclearly in Fig. 3.

As an example of a selecting operation it will be assumed that the lever65 is moved to cause movement of the selector 63 so that the wide part69 thereof registers with the balls 82 to force them outwardly againstchamfers I5 and into reliefs 19 where they are thus maintained by thewide portions of the selectors. Movement of channels 60 to the left bymeans to be presently described causes the outwardly held balls 82 tourge pressure plate 56 to the left, in turn caus-.- ing plates 34 and 45to be clamped between the pressure plate 56 and locking plate 52 forfrictional driving engagement.

In order to move the channels 60 for the above described clutchengagement there is provided a shaft IOI, provided with arms I02 yokedto a collar I03 surrounding the shaft I2, adjacent a sleeve I04, toWhose end is pivotally connected the ends of three radially extending,spaced, release fingers I05, these having their other ends extendinginto a groove I06 formed in the rim of the non-slidable gear 4Iaintegral with the shaft I2. The fingers I05, between their ends, arepivotally connected at I01 to a main pressure plate 62 supported on thechannels 60. The forward surface of the plate and the rear surface ofthe web 46 have counterbores receiving coiled compression springs I I0,tending to urge plate 62 to the left. The plate 62 is connected to theselector channels 60 at 6| as shown in Fig. 4.

It will be seen that when shaft IOI is rotated clockwise (Fig. 2) thechannels 60 are moved to the right, to release the pressure on clutchesand also register the selector balls with the reliefs and chamfers inthe plates when in their free position.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, it will be seen that there isprovided, in front of the transmission casing I8, a master clutch pedalfixed to a cross shaft 9I on which is also fixed a cam 92 adapted toengage the roller end 93 of an arm 94 fixed to a master clutch throwoutcross shaft 95, the latter having arm I Ib yoked or connected to themaster clutch throwout ring IIc as above described. Part of the engagingsurface of cam 92 is made concentric with pivot 9I of the cam forreasons to be described.

The cam 92, at 96, is pivotally connected by a link 91, passing throughcasing'partition I9, and

havinga ball seated nut 98, to an arm 99fixed to the cross shaft IOI,there being a one way lost motion connection between link 91 and arm 99,due to the fact that on clutch engaged position, ball seated nut 98 isspaced from the corresponding seat in arm 99 a slight distance. Thecross shaft IOI, together with its arms I02 and the transmission clutchcontrol ring I03 control the transmission clutches as above described.

The operation of the device will readily be observed. When pedal 90 isdepressed, (or moved to the right), cam 92 is rotated clockwise. Thisfirst rotates shaft clockwise, against the infiuence of the masterclutch springs, to cause master clutch disengagement. During the initialpart of the movement of pedal 90, shaft IOI is not being rotated, due tothe lost motion between link 91 and arm 99. Accordingly, during masterclutch disengagement, or during the time the master clutch springs reactagainst the operator's foot through pedal 90, the transmission clutchsprings do not so react, for shaft IOI is not then being rotated.

After initial movement of pedal 90 and upon access further movementthereof, link I! picks up arm 99 and causes transmission clutchdisengagement, such action being opposed by the transmission clutchsprings which then and not until then react against the. operator's footthrough pedal 90. During this time, the master clutch is helddisengaged, without further movement, by the concentric portion 92a ofcam 8 2, which concentric surface now engages roller 93. The masterclutch spring, at this time does not react against the operators toot,since concentric portion 920 of 'cam 92 looks and holds arm 84 insuch aposition that the latter reacts against the fixedly mounted shaft 9i,without tending to rotate it.

This feature is of importance and because of it; as well as because ofthe lost motion at as,

i only one of the sets of springs is reacting against the operator atany time. Accordingly, there is no greater resistance to pedal movement,or no greater reaction against the operator's foot on the devicedisclosed, than is the case with conventional master clutch pedals, notconnected to a transmission or clutches thereoi.

Release of pedal 90 will cause the master clutch and the selectedtransmission clutch to become engaged, due to the action of the springsprovided for them. D ueto the lost motion connection and also due to theconcentric portion of cam 92, the transmission clutch will engage first,andthe master clutch will engage somewhat later. This feature is ofimportance in constructions where the transmission clutches are of theoil immersed, or not-so-Tsmooth acting type, and where because of thatfact, a dry type, smoothly acting master clutch is and must be providedin order to insure smooth starting of the driven element.

In view of the iact that the transmission clutch completely disengage'sthe driving connection, it is not necessary to provide the master clutchwith the same degree of movement for disengagement and engagement, thatis provided for master clutches now used with conventionaltransmissions, where the master clutch is and must be moved beyond itscomplete disengagement position in order to insure complete and certaindriv- -ing disconnection, and complete and certain operative separationbetween the driving side of the transmission and the engine, to permitshifting of the transmission parts.

Further it will be seen that the transmission clutches cannot bedisengaged and re-engaged accidentally, since their action is controlledby a part, namely pedal 90, which is so mounted that it cannotordinarily be moved accidentally.

It will also-be observed that disengagement of the master clutch forcoasting, is automatically accompanied by disengagement of thetransmission clutches. Consequently, the transmission is made silentwhen the vehicle is coasting, without the necessity of shifting thetransmission parts to neutral.

Now having described the invention and a preierred embodiment thereof,reference will be had to the following claims which define the scope ofthe invention;

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, a pair oi spaced apartmovable elements, a cam engaghas one of said elements and adapted to berotated to cause movement of said element, a link attached to said camto move lengthwise upon rotation oi said cam, said link being slidablyassociated with the other of said elements, and means on said link forengaging said other ele- :ment upon movement of said link in onedirection to cause movement of said other element, said means permittingmovement 01' said link in the other direction without causing movementor said other element.

2. In a device of the character described, a pair of spaced apartmovable elements, a cam engaging one of said elements and adapted to berotated to cause movement of said element, a link said element with saidlink.

TRACY BROOKS TYLER.

